p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOn a normal 6-year-old boy's birthday, one would probably have loads of 6-year-old friends over to run around and play style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere would be presents to open; all filled with colorful toys and candies to make him clap and laugh with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen there would be cake and ice cream, which he and all his friends would eat until their bellies were to the bursting style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe day would end with his parents tucking him safely into bed, with a quiet, "Happy Birthday, sweet boy," and a kiss on the forehead, sending him off into a blissful style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat boy was happy, he was loved, and he was safe./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnd it was completely unlike this child's 6supth/sup style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanTo the unlucky soul who stumbled across this tome; put it back where you found it, whether it be back to the dusty shelf of a used bookstore or to the homeless man who was using it as a pillow, because the words that will soon follow are filled with nothing but a story of hopelessness, despair, and how that can steer one down the wrong path that will eventually lead him to later inflict the same kind of hopelessness and despair on others and so on and so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanTo the one who disregarded my warning and has dare to read the next sentence, do not blame me for the horror that happens next, for I am only reciting this tale out of a sense of honor and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMy name is Phineas Doyle and this is the story of the Von Brandt' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOr now, the singular Von Brandt./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOlaf Wilbur Von Brandt was an incredibly vibrant child, his mind alight with stories of his own style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe would often write out these stories on paper and turn them into miniature plays to perform for his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIn these stories, good would always win, no matter how wicked the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe unfortunate things with stories, is that they're just stories and that in real life good doesn't always style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanToo soon in his life, little Olaf learned this./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe beginning of this story begins on a wet, dreary morning, but that wasn't enough to dampen a heart of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOlaf woke up the day before his 6supth/sup birthday, snug as a bug in a rug in his bed, and heard the pitter patter of rain style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanImmediately, he saw in his mind's eye the droplets outfitted in long ball gowns and stiff tuxedos, dancing on their style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe smiled and let the peaceful image hum in his mind before he finally threw back the cozy, thick comforter and hopped out of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"A large red book leaned against his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe scooped it up into his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was no time to wait, it was time to see to his special surprise./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe tiptoed down the hallway, past both his parent's bedroom and his Aunt' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHis Aunt Geraldine has lived with them for as long as he can style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOne time, Aunt Gerry—as he affectionately calls her—told him that the reason she moved in was to keep her little brother out of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPapa told him it was because he wanted to keep his little sister out of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEither way, he was glad she did./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe giant, marbled stairs he skipped down two at a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe went through the foyer and straight to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey had a hired cook to run the giant ovens and to keep the goods style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOften, though, they gave her days style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMama enjoyed making dinner for them and sometimes him, his parents, and Aunt Gerry would bake chocolate chip cookies at midnight just for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAunt Gerry would sneak him a spoonful of batter when Mama and Papa weren't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThose were his favorite nights./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPulling out a carton of eggs from the fridge, he placed them, along with a slew of other ingredients on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd found a recipe in the library last night for an Omelet style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;""Oh, that's my favorite breakfast," Aunt Gerry sang when he showed her the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"George used to make it for me all the time before…" her sentence fell style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA great sadness fell across her shoulders and bent them forward, a line creasing her lips and eyes becoming style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWithout a word, she patted him halfheartedly on the shoulder and shuffled away./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"Olaf hadn't meant to make her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe loved his Aunt and would never do anything purposely to hurt style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo, he'd decided to surprise everyone by making breakfast this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe'd been in the kitchen enough to know his way around the appliances, so he assumed that it couldn't be too style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"Propping the book up so he could easily see, he read the first instruction style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"Mix all the ingredients together and cook over an open flame."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe whisk was cold in his hand as he beat the eggs with milk, peppers, cheese, and a sprinkle of Cajun style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he mixed, he studied their large, glass top oven style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere wasn't any way to get an open flame from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanChewing on his bottom lip, he wondered momentarily if the open flame was merely a suggestion and heating it regularly would be just as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"But, at remembering Aunt Gerry's sparkly eyes go flat, determination set inside of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe had to make this Omelet Flambe just like Uncle George used style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat would make her happy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"The eggs oozed into the frying pan as he tipped the mixing bowl, a thick, slimy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt reminded him of the trail of mucus a snail leaves behind as it slides across the sidewalk, a bit gross, but style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"Everything was ready, but what was he going to do about the open flame?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanInspiration suddenly hit style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"Ah style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt can be as close as a dear friend, or it can be like that odd cousin that isn't really related but shows up at the occasional big family style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor now, it was a constant companion of this youth we're closely style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt hurts me to say that it doesn't stay that way for much style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"Carrying the heavy, cast iron skillet into his Papa's study, he was proud to see the embers still glowing from last night's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe arm of the couch seemed a good resting place for the pan while he tried to rekindle style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"The matches were too high up for him to reach, tucked into a box on top of the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut since there was still heat, he guessed he probably didn't need too much to get it going style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"As I had said, Olaf was an intelligent style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt didn't take much for him to learn things or come up with style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut, as he crinkled up chunks of yesterday's newspaper in his hands and blew soft breaths into the embers, I can't help but wonder why he thought it was wise for an almost 6-year-old to start a fire, let alone cook over style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBecause it wasn't wise. At style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"His heart did a victory dance when he saw the first lick of a flame which quickly became a quaint, toasty style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanExcited, he lugged the pan over to it and balanced the front tip of it against the back of the fireplace and gripped the handle tightly with his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"Though it didn't take long for the eggs to start bubbling, he found his arms were getting tired quite fast holding the rather heavy skillet and extending them out so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was just thinking that he might need another plan, when the sweat that had been building up on his fingers, from both the heat and the effort, caused the handle to slip out from his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"He watched in horror as the skillet fell and crushed the logs beneath it, spraying scorching wood pieces out from the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSome caught on his clothes and he jumped back, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe batted them away with his hand, leaving stinging, red splotches behind on his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut, as he had been worried about his shirt, he hadn't seen the bigger log chunk land directly on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt quickly caught the fluffy carpet on fire./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"After that, it all happened so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe reflection of flames could be seen shimmering his eyes and tears, Olaf freezing into place, dreadfully afraid as it licked up the curtains and was crawling across the carpet right towards style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"Freezing into place is a common phrase used to describe when one feels absolutely too frightened to run, despite the fact that one probably style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhat makes this extremely ironic is that Olaf froze into place as a fire burned around style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPerhaps, the phrase should've been turned to, he melted into place, or roasted into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut none of those phrases really make any sense, so we will stick to the original language that Olaf used in an entry to an old diary he'd written some years later that I found while investigating this history; "I froze into style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanToo afraid to run, too afraid to call out for style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAll I knew was that the fire was coming and that it wasn't going to stop style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEver."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow true, Olaf, how true./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"As heat surged all around the little boy, his Mama and Papa slept upstairs, unknowing of the danger and ultimately never waking style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAunt Gerry, who had been up for quite some time, was just putting the last curler into her hair and was getting ready to read one of her favorite mystery novels, thought she might smell a hint of smoke, but dismissed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter all, her nose wasn't like it used to be./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"Olaf eventually passed out, eggs long style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI wonder if he thought as his brain slowly shut down from too much smoke inhalation and the unbearable temperature, that he was going to die./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"The Von Brandt mansion became engulfed in a vicious blaze, and all because a vibrant, intelligent little boy had wanted to make breakfast for his sad style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"Firefighters arrived on the scene too late, and while they did their best to snuff it out, it was all in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only thing they were able to save was the thin figure of an unconscious little boy, clutching a telescope between his curled, burnt fingers./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"Olaf Wilbur Von Brandt had been style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut, I ask the readers, at what cost?/span/p